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awakening

I’ve written eight books so far, and I just came out with the latest one. The books that I’ve written previously were a little more erudite, many had footnotes, a long bibliography, and careful references. About a year ago I realized “Hey, I’m in my 50’s, sooner or later I’ve just got to say it straight up, as it is, as far as I’m concerned.” The naked Arjuna Ardagh, if that is not too unappetizing an image. I wrote this latest book in a very simple way: pretty much just the same as if I spoke to a friend about what is absolutely most important to me. You know those games we’ve all played at parties sometimes? “If you had just 5 minutes left, what you would do, what would you say, who would you call…?”

The book I’ve just written is the condensation of what I would most like to leave behind in the world. Now here is the interesting thing that I’ve noticed, since this book got published: I’m way more edgy about it. If people like it, it has way more significance for me than anything I’ve written before. I want to kiss them, invite them home, be lifelong friends. If someone doesn’t like it, or even doesn’t like bits of it, it also feels a little personal… just as if I’d taken all my clothes off, and then somebody pointed and laughed out loud at the size of my … pectoral muscles.

I’ve realized that giving the gift you were really born to to give is a huge risk. Whether it’s writing a book (like it was for me), or a piece of music, or a song, or even your signature recipe, or putting on your finest clothing, and making yourself look really beautiful, you are putting yourself on the line. It’s more dangerous, more alive, more rewarding, but also more terrifying, than staying in the safety of business as usual.

As a coach, I’ve often worked with people to help them bring forth this deepest gift, the unique gift that I am convinced everybody has waiting inside of them. Over the years I’ve come to accept the fact that we have just as much resistance, if not more, to stepping into our greatness as we have enthusiasm. Sometimes it is confusing isn’t it?

Why do people get jobs they don’t really like, and stay in them for decades collecting a regular pay check, all the time knowing full well that they have left their true passion to grow moldy, in the very back of the refrigerator. What is your deepest passion? What is the gift that you intuit you were born to bring to the world? The one that will not only light up your own heart like a Christmas tree, but also drive everyone around you to fits of exuberance as well?

When you start to feel a twinge of terror, as well as excitement, you have probably hit the nerve. You may not be ready for a public performance, or an official launch today, but coming out of the closet right now and writing in the comments box below your intuition of your deepest gift may be a great step, perhaps an irreversible one. I’m looking forward to reading what you have to say.

Why Do We Avoid our Greatness? was last modified: June 26th, 2015 by Arjuna Ardagh

Issues of sexuality, gender, and spirituality have come out of the closet since the Sixties. Because of midwives and hospices, even birth and death are out as well. Aging remains one of our culture’s last taboos. Judging from how the old are represented (or rather, not represented) by the media, it’s fair to say we live in a society that would like to pretend that old people don’t exist. Since people typically spend less as they age, advertisers focus their attention on the young, unless they’re selling denture adhesives or incontinence pads. A recent study showed that only three percent of the images seen in a day of television contains images of older people, and when you notice how these elders are depicted-as silly, stubborn, vindictive, or worst of all, cute – you begin to appreciate the not-so-subtle antipathy of a market-driven culture toward the elderly.

We cannot underestimate the media’s influence on how we view ourselves as aging individuals. Men get trouble enough from the current obsession with staying young and beautiful, but women suffer even more from this craze. This is because men have traditionally had access to something almost as good as youth: power. Women have been deprived of this access until very recently. A man could be wrinkled and gray, but if he held high social or financial status, his physical losses were offset. Not so for women. Where an older man can be euphemized as “distinguished,” a woman is more often called “faded” or “over the hill,” and suffers enormous pressure to hide her age, often with painful results. Women now live a full third of their lives after menopause, and yet if you believe our popular culture, a woman who isn’t young, shapely, and still capable of bearing children is all but invisible. I have women friends who’ve gone to great lengths to keep up a youthful front with the help of plastic surgery, and while the results may be superficially satisfying, the impulse to re-carve what nature has created often masks a profound despair. It is as if we are urged to fight, over and over again, a losing battle against time, pitting ourselves against natural law. How ghastly this is, and how inhumane, toward both ourselves and the cycle of life. It reminds me of someone rushing around the fields in the autumn painting the marvelous gold and red leaves with green paint. It’s a lot of wasted time and energy.

Take the spots I have on my hands. Though I haven’t been harmed by them at all, I am harmed by the message I see on TV. “They call these aging spots,” an older woman says in a Porcelana ad, “but I call them ugly!” When I see that ad, I become uneasy about a natural process my body is going through. But when I flip that message around in my mind – “They call these ugly, I call them aging spots!” – the illusion is dispelled, and suddenly it’s just autumn leaves.

“Am I living on purpose?” My initial answer was, “Yes, of course I am.” However, as I thought about it more deeply, I could see that there are many aspects of my life and my work that aren’t “on purpose” at all.

This realization has been both humbling and enlightening. As I’ve continued to sit in this inquiry, I’ve become aware of some of the specific places in my life where not only am I not living “on purpose,” I’m operating unconsciously or by default, simply reacting to life as it’s “happening to me.” While I’m grateful to have work that I love, a wife and family that I adore, and so many wonderful things going on in my life – more often than I’d like to admit, it’s easy for me to fall into the trap of feeling as though I’m a victim of my circumstances and responsibilities. Maybe you can relate to this in some way?

As I’ve thought more about this whole concept of living on purpose, I think there are two distinct aspects of it. There is “Purpose” with a capital “P,” which relates to figuring out and living true to who we are, what’s most important to us, and our larger reason for being alive. And, then there is “purpose” with a lower case “p,” which relates to the level of consciousness, mindfulness, and deliberateness with which we live our lives on a daily basis. Both of these aspects of purpose are important to our overall fulfillment in life, yet they are distinct.

Living our Purpose
Living our Purpose (with a capital P) is a lot easier said than done for most of us. First of all, we have to figure out what our Purpose is, which for some of us comes easily and early in life, and for others of us it takes a long time (or may seem to never quite show up with true clarity). And, even for those of us who feel as though we’ve found our Purpose, it often shifts and changes as we grow and evolve, sometimes in significant ways.

A good way to delve more deeply into your own Purpose is to ask the simple but important question, “If money and logistics weren’t an issue, what would I do and where would I focus my attention and energy?”

Asking and answering this important question is something we can do on a regular basis, to check in with ourselves and see how true to our Purpose we’re living at any given moment in life. However, whether the answer to this question is crystal clear to us or not, most of us don’t have money and logistics handled completely and/or what we’re doing and how we’re living isn’t totally aligned with our Purpose. This “gap” between our Purpose and how we actually live is normal; it doesn’t make us bad, phony, or weak (although we often judge ourselves this way when we think about it like this).

The size and significance of our personal gap does, however, have an impact on us – the larger the gap, the more out of alignment we may feel, the smaller the gap, the more “on purpose” we may experience our lives. Our level of awareness of our gap and our willingness to take action in the direction of narrowing the gap is what will lead us to a life of deeper Purpose.

It’s also important to remember that this process is unique for each of us – there’s no “right” way to do it. Living our Purpose is about willingness, authenticity, vulnerability, boldness, and courage. And, like most important things in life, it’s a journey, not a destination.

Living on purpose
Living on purpose (with a lowercase p) is about how we live our lives on a daily basis. How conscious are you? How mindful are you? How deliberate are you? The answers to these questions will vary for each of us based on a variety of factors, and can even vary for most of us throughout the course of a given day, week, or month of our lives.

As fast as life seems to be moving these days, as much information and communication as we’re exposed to, and as many responsibilities as most of us have, it’s easy to let the “rat race” of life take over without us even being fully aware of it.

However, living on purpose is a practice – it’s about being conscious, mindful, and deliberate with both the big and small things in life. Slowing down, speaking up, taking risks, making tough choices, asking for what we want, dealing with conflicts directly, expressing our love and appreciation for others, taking care of ourselves, and remembering that we’re the authors of our lives are some of the many ways we can live on purpose on a regular basis.

Living our Purpose and living on purpose are not easy, and in many cases not even authentically encouraged by those around us. There is a lot of agreement within our culture that “life’s hard or, at least, too busy,” or “you can’t really do what you love,” or “you have to just suck it up and take care of business,” and many more along these lines. These types of thoughts and beliefs show up in my head on a pretty regular basis, and I hear them from people around me directly or indirectly all the time. However, just because we have these common thoughts or beliefs, doesn’t make them true or helpful.

For us to live our Purpose and live on purpose, it takes authentic self awareness and radical courage. And, as Susan Jeffers taught us all through her bestselling book, we must “feel the fear and do it anyway.”

Are You Living on Purpose? was last modified: June 5th, 2013 by Mike Robbins

The experience of the gift of life, of the grace of life, is a mysterious blessing we celebrate and bow to. Grace is the answer to our prayers, and yet it is free of our bidding. How joyous to bask in even an instant of surprising good fortune. How sweetly humbling to be delivered from misfortune.

We most easily and delightedly recognize grace in its form of deliverance. Yet it has another, equally humbling, equally mysterious face. The horrific face of grace can fill us with dread and fear when it appears, but if we are willing to welcome it — as we welcome the good news of the grace of bounty — it too brings us home. In whatever form it presents itself, grace reveals home as free and at peace. Grace is the messenger of the silent core of us, regardless of any tumult on the surface.

Who can truly comprehend what we each have to experience in our lives? We know of horrible experiences, diseases, wars, loss and degradation that many have to go through. And we also hear from many of the surprising grace present with the loss and pain: grace’s horrific face.

This is not the face of grace that we want. We want grace that is easy and beautiful and flowing. We usually — at least initially — resist grace that is ugly and painful. You must have experienced certain events, however they have shown up, as unwanted. If you are still resisting some unwanted event in your life and are willing to open to it now, you can find the grace in that very moment.

Grace does not require you to want something that you do not want. What is required is that you tell the truth about what simply and irrevocably is. What is required is that you stop fighting and hiding from what is. When these utterly simple and deeply challenging requirements are met, the innate grace of your own consciousness naturally reveals who you are and what you can bear.

We have many ideas about what we can bear. These ideas are the reflections of our fear. We doubt our capacity to meet what life and the changes in life give us. But when the willingness to tell the truth in open stillness comes, capacity is discovered.

Part of the horrific grace of being a human being is the knowledge that non-existence is at the end of the arc of our lifetime. We avoid death — other’s or our own — but when death comes close, the possibility is just as close for the discovery of great horrific grace. We don’t want to die. It may sometimes seems dying would be easier than meeting the challenge of living, but you wouldn’t be reading this if you hadn’t chosen life. And yet death will come.

In the horrific knowledge that what we don’t want (death, loss) will come regardless of our desires, there is an indescribable grace that is available. The fact that you have the gift of a human life with reflective consciousness allows you to open your consciousness, rather than to engage in the usual habitual strategies of denial.

The Tibetans speak about this precious human life. I used to doubt the preciousness of a human life because it seemed that the cows, in their unconsciousness of inevitable death might actually have a better life. But what are the cows doing in the pasture? They are waiting for the slaughterhouse. Even the lilies of the field, though not doing anything, simply living and being beautiful, are dead soon enough. We too are headed for the slaughterhouse, we too will be dead soon enough. And because of the horrific grace of consciousness we can meet that inevitability.

If we stop at the horror, if we try to find something to cover it or fix it or distract ourselves from it, we deny ourselves the grace of it. When there is enough willingness to face what has been avoided, the preciousness of every moment of every limited life form is celebrated and welcomed. Facing the horror of changes and endings allows us to fully participate in both what is inherently transitory and what is changeless.

Precious human life. Precious life form. Precious moment of every life — the cow’s life until it is slaughtered or the lily’s life until it wilts — how precious it is to be conscious of being and not being.

This blog is adapted from a talk given by Gangaji at Kripalu Center, MA in September 2011. Gangaji’s new book Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story, was published in September 2011 by Tacher/Penguin. In this life-changing book, Gangaji uses the telling of her own life story to help readers uncover the truth in their own. Publisher’s Weekly said, “This gently flowing but often disarming volume invites readers to examine the narratives that shape them, and is a call to pass beyond personal stories to find a deeper, more universal self.”

Gangaji will be offering a free open webcast on Sunday May 20 at 11:00 AM pacific time. After that, you can join her for a Silent Retreat at Fallen Leaf Lake, South Lake Tahoe, CA, beginning May 29. Visit www.gangaji.org for more information about Gangaji and her upcoming events, including the monthly Webcast / Conference Series, With Gangaji, which is currently undergoing an in-depth study of Hidden Treasure.

Gangaji shares a simple message – “This is an invitation to shift your allegiance from the activities of your mind to the eternal presence of your being.” Born in Texas in 1942, Gangaji grew up in Mississippi. After graduating from the University of Mississippi in 1964, she married and had a daughter. In 1972, she moved to San Francisco where she began exploring deeper levels of her being. She took Bodhisattva vows, practiced Zen and Vipassana meditation, helped run a Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Center, and had a career as an acupuncturist in the San Francisco Bay area. Despite her successes, Gangaji continued to experience a deep and persistent longing for fulfillment. She pursued many paths to change her life including relationship, motherhood, political activism, career, and spiritual practice, but even the greatest of her successes ultimately came up short. In the wake of her disillusionment, she made a final prayer for true help. In 1990, the answer to her prayer came unexpectedly, taking her to India and to the meeting that would change everything. There on the banks of the river Ganga, she met Sri H.W.L. Poonja, also known as Papaji, who opened the floodgates of self-recognition. In this meeting, Gangaji’s personal story of suffering ended and the promise of a true life began to flower and unfold. Today, Gangaji travels the world speaking to seekers from all walks of life. A teacher and author, she shares her direct experience of the essential message she received from Papaji and offers it to all who want to discover a true and lasting fulfillment. Through her life and words, she powerfully articulates how it is really possible to discover the truth of who you are and to be true to that discovery. Gangaji’s website www.gangaji.org

In the last 2000 years or so, women have been considered to be the weaker sex in much of the so-called civilized world. In actual fact, women have simply forgotten how to access their own power, the Divine feminine. In Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, he says:

“The valley spirit never diesIt is named the mysterious femaleAnd the doorway of the mysterious female Is the base from which heaven and earth springIt is there within us all the whileDraw upon it as you willIt never runs dry.”

The quality of Yin is fluid, cool, yielding and expansive, like water. If you have ever seen a torrential flood, a huge waterfall, or a turbulent ocean, the power of yin can be easily understood. Yes, she can be calm and yielding, or can equally be a raging and furious Tsunami. Water is contradictory and unpredictable, and so is woman. In spite of her unpredictability and illogical way of being, she is naturally attuned to the heart and her basic default setting is love. She lives for love. If a woman forgets that her power is rooted in love, she is destined for a life of misery. Universal energy is made manifest in our physical world through the vibration of love. Woman is the custodian of this vital force. Her intuitive nature acts as a beacon, calling her continuously to come back home to the heart.

It is also very important for women to realize that she is the birth giver. Even if a woman has not physically given birth to a child, she is still a mother in every fibre of her being. Whatever is born into this world has come through the conduit of woman. If the world we live in is a mess, it simply means that women have been unconscious of their role as mother of all of life.

When a woman is in touch with her unbounded ecstasy, her infinite capacity for love and her clairvoyant potential, she will be ripe and ready to give birth to a world where life overflows with joy, dance, song, love and beauty. I see such a world on the horizon. It will happen as soon as a critical mass of women wake up to the power of the divine feminine.

Tantra honours the heart as the link between our animal and divine nature. Through the practice of Tantra meditations, either alone or with her lover, a woman will find many keys for fulfilment on all levels, sexually, in love and relating, and spiritually. The richness of a women’s potential is astonishing as it begins opening up. She finds herself to be as vast and limitless as the sky. In essence, she is the cosmic womb, the mother of the universe. This immense gift also carries with it great responsibility. As we wake up to our responsibility within this creation, we will plant flowers and trees instead of bombs.

Next Week: Tantra Alchemy – The meeting of Contradictions

Sarita is a world renowned Tantra master and mystic offering courses and retreats across the globe. Having received a direct transmission from Osho, she is true to the spiritual essence of Tantra and leads us on the path to self realisation. At the same time she takes care to help us transcend the psychological blockages that we carry as a result of our cultural background and past experiences. She is also a master healer, author and consultant. website: http://www.tantra-essence.com

The Divine Masculine is a timely subject for 2012, as this is the year when the old world transmutes into a new world, according to the famous Maya predictions. Bring it on! The old world has been dominated primarily by an imbalanced masculine, which shows itself in the number of wars and general raping of planetary resources. This has happened because the masculine has been divorced from the feminine for a few thousand years, and by so doing has gone into a fevered testosterone fueled orgy of competition and destruction. I am by no means saying,…

Do you find it easy to forgive people who have hurt or abused you in some way? I didn’t until I started to understand that I was hurting myself more by maintaining a tight knot of resentment and anger towards the people who had wronged me. As I learned to love myself, and make loving myself more important than hating the other person, a profound shift happened within me. I felt more loving not only towards myself, but towards everyone and all situations in my life. This shift in perspective produced a feeling state of relaxation, ease, and trust that all was right with my world,..

READ: Tantra and the Divine Feminine by Mahasatvaa Ananda Sarita was last modified: February 11th, 2012 by Mahasatvaa Ananda Sarita

I’m feeling embarrassed because I’ve made a series of silly mistakes. I run retreats internationally in which people come together to experience a spiritual awakening to oneness and ‘big love’, so I regularly send out emails to tell people about new events. In my last email I managed to get the details wrong, so I sent out an apology and the correction. Then I realized I’d got other details wrong as well, so I had to send out another email to apologize.

Making mistakes is a part of life … at least it is a consistent part of my life! Yet I am always shocked when I see how easily I don’t pay enough attention to what I am doing. And this has got me thinking about how I feel when I make mistakes.

Getting the dates wrong on an email is a relatively minor mistake, but I still feel annoyed with myself. I prefer it when I am pleased myself, of course. Yet I also feel there is something precious in the humility that arises when I see my innate fallibility … with both the big and little things in my life.

Humbly embracing my flawed humanity has been a theme of my life in recent years, and is a major element in my new book that is coming out next year. For a long time my spiritual journey was about waking up to the deep self and the oneness of life, and this remains an on-going adventure. But now I find myself also focusing on coming to terms with the limitations of ‘Tim’ that show no signs of miraculously disappearing!

As I get older I am struck by how ‘Tim’ still stumbles and falls. Humility and embarrassment seem like old friends. And there is a vulnerability and authenticity that arises from the recognition of my human fallibility that I am learning to appreciate. Connecting with each other and with life from the deep self is a wonderful experience. Yet embracing each other in our vulnerable, fragile, tender humanity is equally important.

It seems to me that I am profoundly paradoxical. On the one hand so big and on the other so small. Within me are unfathomable depths, yet ‘Tim’ is also necessarily limited and imperfect. On my spiritual journey I once believed that I could one day perfect ‘Tim’ into some sort of enlightened being who was always at his best. Now it feels to me that the journey is about embracing all that I am.

This means both awakening to the deep self and humbly accepting my human limitations. It is when I am able to do both that I am truly authentic. And then something beautiful and tender happens. There is this unconditionally love of myself just as I am … a love of others just as they are … a love of life just as it is … a deep love of being.

I shared these ideas with my emailing list when I apologized for my mistakes. And here’s the funny thing. I got more lovely replies to that email than to any other email I’ve sent out. So what I am learning is this. People respond when we’re real about ourselves. When we’re willing to be authentic it allows others to be authentic too. And that feels good.

Tim Freke is a pioneering philosopher and the author of many groundbreaking books, which have been translated into 15 languages. These include How Long Is Now?Lucid Living and The Jesus Mysteries, which was a ‘Book of the Year’ in the Daily Telegraph and a top 10 bestseller in the UK and USA. His cutting-edge work on Gnosticism and pioneering spiritual philosophy have established his reputation as a scholar and free-thinker. He is often featured in documentaries and interviewed by the global media, such as the BBC and the History Channel.

Tim runs ‘mystery experience retreats’ internationally, in which he guides others directly to a spiritually awakened state. He also performs as a ‘stand-up philosopher’ – a concept he developed from the ancient idea of a philosopher as a traveling ‘spiritual entertainer’ who transforms people’s consciousness. Tim lives with his wife and two children in Glastonbury, England. For free videos and talks visit www.timothyfreke.com

When I was growing up my father often said: “Everyone does the best they can with what they have to work with.” What I want you to know about this is that he did not say this lightly, did not come to this from a life of ease or privilege. He had grown up poor with an abusive alcoholic father and an exhausted, unprotective mother. As a child he and his mother were beaten almost every night by my grandfather who eventually (after my father was an adult) committed suicide- hung himself in the barn of the dirt farm where my father had…

Scientists say we’re made of Atoms, pure energy…but where does that come from? World religious heads say we are a creation of God…but where does God come from? Philosophers and Spiritual teachers have entertained theories from; we are one collective energy expressed through many forms, to life is an illusion…but where does that come from?

READ: MAKING MISTAKES by Tim Freke was last modified: January 13th, 2012 by Tim Freke

In this video, Rick Hanson explains how we can boost our positive emotions and positive experiences. This video was taken at the Greater Good Science Center in UC Berkeley as part of the Science of a Meaningful Life Series

Masaru Emoto (江本 勝 Emoto Masaru?, born July 22, 1943) is a Japanese author and entrepreneur known for his claims that human consciousness has an effect on the molecular structure of water. Emoto’s hypothesis has evolved over the years of his research. Initially Dr. Emoto claimed that high-quality water forms beautiful and intricate crystals, while low-quality water has difficulty forming crystals. According to Dr. Emoto, an ice crystal of distilled water exhibits a basic hexagonal structure with no intricate branching. Emoto claims that positive changes to water crystals can be achieved through prayer, music or by attaching written words to a container of

WATCH: Now is the Time was last modified: December 10th, 2011 by Panache Desai

The awakening man is conscious, heartfully defined. Through his eyes, being conscious is not a cerebral construct, nor an intellectual exercise bereft of feeling. It is a felt experience, an ever-expanding awareness that moves from the heart outward. It is feeling God, not thinking God. The new man is always in process, awakening through a deepening interface with the world of feeling. He continues to strive for a more heartfelt and inclusive awareness.

The awakening man has shifted his focus from a localized and ethnocentric perspective to a world-centric framework of perception. His community is humanity. Rooted in the relational, his sense of responsibility extends well beyond his localized self and community. Where possible, his choice-making is fuelled by an expansive vision of possibility for all of humankind. Not every man for himself, but every man for humanity.

The awakening man has reverence for the divine feminine, in all her forms. He celebrates the wonder that is woman. He is respectful, honouring and gracious. He is saddened by the horrors perpetuated against women by the malevolent masculine. He holds his brothers accountable. He makes amends for his own misdeeds. He co-creates a world where all women will feel safe to move about freely, to find their voice, to actualize their inherent magnificence. He welcomes a world where women and men stand as equal partners. Humankind.

The awakening man is not externally derived. He is authentically sourced. He does not compare himself to others. He does not adapt his personality to the dictates of the crowd. He stands in his own centre, respectful of others but not defined by them. He works diligently to liberate his consciousness from the egoic ties that bind. He has become his own benchmark, valuing authenticity over image. He is the sculptor of his own reality.

The awakening man courageously works on his emotional processes. He clears his emotional debris and sheds his armour. He faces his issues and unconscious patterns heart on. He calls himself on his self-avoidant tendencies and honours the wisdom at the heart of his pain. He communicates his feelings in a way that is respectful to others. He learns and speaks the language of the heart.

The awakening man leads a purpose-full existence. He has heard the call to a deeper life. Not satisfied with survival alone, his ambitions are rooted in higher considerations- the excavation and actualization of his sacred purpose. He is energized by his purpose, not by the machinations of the unhealthy ego. He is coated in an authenticity of purpose that sees through the veils to what really matters. His purpose is his path.

The awakening man is accountable for his actions and their effects. He does not deflect responsibility. He does not sidestep or blame. He is self-admitting and emotionally honest. He admits his errors, and makes amends. He works diligently in the deep within, crafting a more clarified awareness with every lesson.

The awakening man moves from the inside out. More interested in inner expansion than outer achievement, he cultivates and honours his intuition. He explores and develops his inner geography. He adventures deep within, integrating the treasures he excavates into his way of being. He seeks congruity between his inner life and his outer manifestation.

The awakening man seeks wholeness. He is not satisfied with a fragmented way of being. He has no attachment to archaic, linear notions of masculinity. He seeks a sacred balance between the healthy masculine and the healthy feminine. He seeks an inclusive way of being, one that reflects all of his archetypal aspects.

The awakening man embodies the highest standard of integrity in his words and deeds. He makes a sustained effort to work through anything that is not in integrity within him. His framework of integrity is never convenient or self-serving. He honours his word, even at his own expense. He moves from a value system that is unwaveringly incorruptible. He recognizes that success without integrity is karmically unsound and meaningless.

The awakening man prioritizes conscious relationship. He values authentic co-creation. He honours relationship as spiritual practice. He seeks physical intimacy that is deeply vulnerable and heartfully connective. He is attuned, engaged and healthily boundaried. When relational challenges arise, he courageously works through any obstructions to intimacy. He stands in the heartfire.

The awakening man is a warrior of the heart. He has taken his clarifying sword inward, cutting away everything that is not compassionate. After too many lifetimes with weapon in hand, a benevolent warrior is being birthed at the core of his being. He honours the warrior capacity for assertiveness, but he is not arbitrarily aggressive. He moves from love and compassion.

The awakening man endeavours to live in a state of perpetual gratitude. He is grateful for the gift of life. He is grateful for those ancestors who built the foundation that his expansion relies upon. He is grateful for those who encouraged him before he could encourage himself. He is grateful for those who stand beside him in this lifetime. He knows that he does not stand alone.

The awakening man is comfortable in his vulnerability. He participates in his own revealing. He is not afraid to surrender- to reality, to love, to truth. This is not a weakened form of surrender, but one that is emblazoned with courage. It takes more courage to surrender than to numb. He openly explores his capacities for receptivity and tenderness. He does not identify these capacities as distinctly feminine, but as whole human. He is strong enough at the core to live in a vast array of emotions.

The awakening man moves through the marketplace responsibly, with a vigilant eye to the ways of the unhealthy ego. He is not opportunistic in a vacuum. He does not compete for competition’s sake. He does not accumulate for the sake of accumulation. In charting his course, he is mindful of his impact on humanity. He is empowered but he does not exploit power. He derives his power from his connection to source, not from power over others. Where possible, he shares the abundance, gifting back to humanity. He works hard to bridge the world as it is with a world of divine possibility.

The awakening man has reverence for Mother Earth. He has reverence for animals. He never imagines himself superior or distinct from the natural world. He understands the interconnected and interdependent nature of reality. He knows that if he does damage to the environment, he does damage to himself. He walks carefully, with awareness, consciousness and appreciation.

The awakening man has no claims on God. His spirituality is tolerant, inclusive, respectful. He honours all paths to God, so long they are respectful of others. He accepts those who believe, and those who don’t. He condemns any path that uses religious differences as a justification for destruction.

The awakening man brings forward many of the qualities of the healthy masculine of old. He is noble. He is responsible. He is productive. He is kind-hearted. He is protective. He is unswervingly honourable. He is down to earth. He is sturdy. He is flexible. He is realistic. He is hopeful. He is sensitive, not fragile. He is healthily egoic, not self-centred. He is both practical and heightened at the same time. He ascends with both feet on the ground. He is really here.

~A former criminal lawyer and psychotherapist, Jeff Brown is the author of “Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation,” recently published by North Atlantic Books. Endorsed by authors Elizabeth Lesser and Ram Dass, “Soulshaping” is Brown’s autobiography — an inner travelogue of his journey from archetypal male warrior to a more surrendered path. You can connect with his work at www.soulshaping.com

I feel more than ever that humanity has the possibility to realise the potential state of Wholeness, or Completeness, that is incrementally achieved by those who choose to heighten their thoughts or whose mind, words and deeds are authentically harmonious and serene so as to be in touch with deep wisdom.

In our long human history of storytelling, there have been great beings with awe-inspiring stories that reveal the victory of self-discovery. What inspires us about these great ones is that somehow their lives turned toward and then reflected the sublime discovery of everlasting truth. In Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story (Tarcher Penguin, 2011) I invite you to let your story be a contribution to the universal revelation of self-discovery, expressed uniquely as you.

READ: The Awakening Man ~ A Portrait Of Possibility For Humankind by Jeff Brown was last modified: December 7th, 2011 by Jeff Brown

BOULDER, Colo. — Tens of thousands of compassionate activists worldwide will show what it is like Oct. 24 to live for a day demonstrating humanity’s inner unity on the second annual Global Oneness Day.

The day will be celebrated with parades, concerts, dance celebrations, exhibitions, educational events, meditations, acts of service and other activities in more than 40 countries, said Humanity’s Team, a global grassroots movement “awakening the world to oneness” that created the day last year with support from more than 75 other non-governmental organizations and other groups and individuals.

The Shift Network is to co-produce with Humanity’s Team a 10-panel Global Oneness Day telesummit from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. EDT (15h00 GMT to 01h30 GMT Oct. 25). The telesummit, in English, is free of charge. Register at www.global-oneness-day.org.

A special five-person telesummit panel discussing uBuntu, the classical African worldview of oneness, will include South African Member of Parliament and University of South Africa law lecturer Mathole Motshekga and uBuntu School of Philosophy Director and former anti-apartheid activist Johann Broodyrk.

Global Oneness Day was created following a Humanity’s Team presentation to the United Nations of a petition signed by more than 50,000 people from 168 countries appealing to the world body to support the day, akin to Earth Day but intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for humanity’s inner oneness.

Official U.N. recognition would mean the world body, for the first time, would officially proclaim oneness to be an issue in which it has a permanent interest and commitment. It would also mean the United Nations would decree Global Oneness Day an international holiday to be observed as a public holiday by all 193 U.N. member states.

On receiving the signatures on behalf of the U.N. Culture of Peace, Chowdhury said international peace efforts, no matter how well-intentioned, would not succeed until people recognized we are all one.

“I believe that unless we have that sense of solidarity among the peoples of the world, all our efforts of peace and security will go nowhere,” Chowdhury said at an indoor ceremony at U.N. headquarters in front of the Chagall Peace Window.

Oneness brings about an appreciation of humanity’s interdependence, which supports tolerance, understanding and solidarity, necessary for lasting peace, said Chowdhury, a former undersecretary-general and high representative of the United Nations.

Humanity’s Team Worldwide Coordinating Director Steve Farrell said oneness “shows the connection of all things, that our differences don’t have to create divisions and our contrasts don’t have to product conflicts.”

“In fact, oneness invites us to celebrate our cultural, religious and other differences because diversity is part of who we are and is inseparable from respecting human dignity,” he said.

Humanity’s Team and other activists are stepping up their U.N. appeal, advocating in behalf of the day to national governments and adding to the original petition signatures through a global Oneness Declaration in the hope of receiving the world body’s support.

Bruce H. Lipton, PhD is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Stem cell biologist, bestselling author of The Biology of Belief and recipient of the 2009 Goi Peace Award, he has been a guest speaker on hundreds of TV and radio shows, as well as keynote presenter for national and international conferences.

Bruce Lipton on Conscious Parenting was last modified: September 18th, 2011 by VividLife Editorial

Eckhart is a spiritual teacher and author who was born in Germany and educated at the Universities of London and Cambridge. At the age of 29, a profound inner transformation radically changed the course of his life. The next few years were devoted to understanding, integrating and deepening that transformation, which marked the beginning of an intense inward journey. Later, he began to work in London with individuals and small groups as a counselor and spiritual teacher. Since 1995 he has lived in Vancouver, Canada. Eckhart Tolle is the author of the #1 New York Timesbestseller The Power of Now (translated into 33 languages) and the highly acclaimed follow-up A New Earth, which are widely regarded as two of the most influential spiritual books of our time.

Eckhart Tolle – The End of Suffering was last modified: September 18th, 2011 by VividLife Editorial

The Transcendent Nation Foundation interviews Prof. Robert Thurman of Tibet House US (http://www.tibethouse.org/) about how to save the world.

Produced by the Transcendent Nation Foundation non-profit, this clip is part of a larger interview that can be seen with free registration athttp://projectrestoration.com.

The primary aim of the Transcendent Nation Foundation is to promote the possibility of world peace by means of personal realization and holographic action. This is based on the simple idea that when a critical mass in the body of humanity awakens, the whole collective will be awakened.

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~John Muir

On August 4, 2011 I posted a blog entry called“To Hug a Tree”, emphasizing the connection we have with the Natural world and the importance of our conscious re-connection with it as an obvious and necessary extension of ourselves. Later that afternoon I walked into our local bookstore and directly into a book called, Earthing. The cover was of two, beautiful sand-colored human footprints impressed into a dark soil, and with greenery nearby. The title and cover alone drew me to pick up the book. Within moments I knew why:

In 1998, a man named Clint Ober sat on a park bench in Sedona, Arizona. As he watched the parade of people walking by, it occurred to him that almost everyone, including Clint, wore synthetic plastic or rubber soled shoes. He began to wonder if such footwear, which had increasingly replaced leather since the 1960s, could impact health.

A retired cable TV executive, who had spent 25 years participating in the rise of the cable industry and his own business, Clint Ober had understood exactly what “cable” for cable television does: the crisp image delivered by cable is the result of “shielding” that prevents signals from leaking out and prevents outside disturbances from leaking in. Clint Ober realized in a “lightening bolt moment” that plastic or rubber soles would insulate people from the natural electrical surface charge of the Earth.

Mr. Ober began to consider how his experience with cable TV might apply to the human body. He realized that most people wear synthetic-soled shoes that insulate their bodies from the Earth’s energy field. This seemingly simple realization inspired a scientific adventure that has resulted in what some say is perhaps the greatest health discovery of our time.

The surface of the Earth resonates with natural, subtle energies. Ongoing scientific research is discovering the details as to why people feel significantly better when they connect with these omnipresent energy fields. Earthing refers to the process of connecting by walking barefoot outside, as humans have done throughout history – or sitting, working, or sleeping grounded indoors. Earthing immediately equalizes your body to the same energy level, or potential, as the Earth, which results in synchronizing your internal biological clocks, hormonal cycles, and physiological rhythms, and suffusing your body with healing, negatively charged free electrons (a good thing) abundantly present on the surface of the Earth.

My gratitude runs deep for this wonderful person, Clint Ober, who has now spent the last decade helping people all over the world become “grounded” by something as simple as spending time barefoot, standing on the earth. “Naturally” numerous stories of whole-body healing have taken place. With his background in cable and the installation of it, he was inspired to take this “a-ha” moment many steps further, after years of research, creating additional products that aid people in improving their homes and workspace, and even sleeping areas, with items that can help to keep a human in touch with the energetic healing frequencies of the earth, even while surrounded by every nuance of the technologically advancing world.

I’ve not read Clint Ober’s book yet, and so I don’t know what he proposes with regard to how to stand, how long, and how often, but what I’d like to offer here is that our Mother Earth is everywhere. She costs nothing and gives of herself freely, although we have cost her plenty and taken much. For those who are in deep and dire need of balancing, healing, and recovery, I invite you to immediately create a sacred time each day where you stand directly on the earth, barefoot. Find a patch of earth that doesn’t already have pesticides sprayed on the grass, even if you have to ask someone’s help in locating or creating it. Perhaps it is in a neighbor’s organic garden area. If they have an organic garden, they are someone who has already begun to awaken, and I am certain that they will help you. They probably already have a sitting area where, if you are too weak to stand, you may sit with feet on the ground at first, graduating to standing later.

If you are in hospice, or are experiencing a health crisis of any degree at this time and need assistance in connecting directly with earth, you might ask your caregiver(s) to take an hour and read up on this idea of Earthing for you, and either follow simple guidelines as to how to get you directly upon the healing Mother Earth, – lying or sitting or standing – or follow their own intuition about what it would entail to make sure that you are warm, dry, comfortable and yet nothing lies between your body and the earth that would prevent you from receiving her healing, natural energies. For all we know, this vital piece of information and this obvious reminder of “what has already been given” is here for you right now, to utilize and to benefit from, and may provide the healing miracle you have prayed for.

Should you feel drawn to find out more beyond the simple act of standing for periods of time on the earth each day, I want to guide you to follow your own intuition, and if you feel curious, please visit both of Mr. Ober’s websites, where you can listen to audio clips, read more about all aspects of the research and the results, as well as read an excerpt from his book, Earthing, which I noticed is the recipient of the Nautilus Silver Award for 2011, an award that “recognizes books that promote spiritual growth, conscious living and positive social change, while at the same time stimulating the imagination and offering the reader new possibilities for a better life, and a better world.” As well, I observed in the product area of the Earthing website that they have a number of products which can aid in further healing by keeping a human body connected to these natural earth frequencies almost all day long, and yet I didn’t notice flash or glamour or a “sell” job for any of it. In fact, what I read while reading up on his research at a different website of his, devoted to the ongoing research and distribution of the Earthing concept, was this:

“We envision an “Earthing revolution” ahead as increasing numbers of people the world over experience the health benefits of Earthing and as more research is published.

We envision a massive demand for personal grounding products not just in homes and offices, but in clinics, hospitals, and even schools.

This expected wave of interest will create innumerable business and job opportunities to bring the calming and healing power of the Earth outside into the lives of everyone indoors so that everyone lives grounded most of each and every day.”

“Again and again some people in the crowd wake up. They have no ground in the crowd and they emerge according to broader laws.They carry strange customs with them and demand room for bold gestures. The future speaks ruthlessly through them.”

– Rainer Maria Rilke

About one month ago now I had an experience that has happened to me only four other times in my life. I was going full-speed-ahead, excited and inspired, with my hands in many new projects, sure about the direction I was heading and suddenly I “turned a corner”. Like the experience of the Hero in the Hero’s Journey that I wrote of in the last two blogs, I seemed to experience a sudden shift in my very ground of Being and found myself in a place where everything I thought was important suddenly was not, and my former reality was replaced simply with A Knowing: that a new vision with far greater purpose was now alive within me, and that it was now important to wait, learn, and listen.

Unlike similar experiences of my past, when this shift came over me it felt mostly like a deep wave of grief as it announced itself. And as it continued over the days, I began to get the sense that I was like a Tuning Fork for the cosmos – as if I was feeling the grief of the people on the planet presently, or prior to what is about to happen as the world continues to experience being “rocked and rolled” through societal and physical planetary shifts that will change life as we know it – eventually, to a much more peaceful and harmonious one.

Daily I would try to describe this unfolding experience to my dear husband, and no sooner would I go through one wave, than he would follow with his own version of it one day later. As it became more apparent to me what was happening, I felt increasingly clearer and more capable of articulating it to those closest to me and spent last weekend writing to close friends and relatives to share with them this “something” that is deeper than thought, and yet more real than anything I’ve felt before in my lifetime. The Shift isn’t going to happen, but is happening, and it’s vitally important that every single one of us answer that deep Calling within us, and bring courage and authenticity to every act and every interaction. In short, time is short with regard to living the familiar life we’ve been living, and the planet cannot afford for you to play small. What are you feeling called to do? Where are you feeling called to be? What do you stand for?

“Truly to sing, that is a different breath.” – Rainer Maria Rilke

I think that we are the first wave of human beings who will move fully into the new consciousness, and therefore, we are being cleaned out, cleared out and tuned “up”. Here are the “symptoms” of individual Shifting that I’ve been experiencing at an increasingly intense rate, and I want very much to share them with any of the other sensitives and empaths who are most likely sharing this same experience, in hopes that you will not only feel accompanied, but also to encourage you to speak your truth, live your truth, and stand for Truth. Below, are many of the experiences I’ve been having:

* An extremely deep pull to be in Nature.

* A need for much more stillness, and silence, and oftentimes solitude.

* The falling away of old friendships that no longer “fit” and the discovery of new connections that feel like Soul Tribe – as if we have been dispersed across time and space, but are now finding one another again.

* A desire to speak very little, and to speak only when it is a conversation that will add to solution or “seed” humanity’s future with supportive ideas, visions, and dreams. A desire to speak only from authenticity and one’s own truth of the moment.

* A draw toward Yoga, and breathing practices.

* An increased and amplified activity of the mind and the body’s habitual patterns (in order to be shown what is still a limiting belief or way of being).

* A tremendous reverence for all sentient beings, and for the Mother Earth herself.

* A desire to celebrate all that is beautiful and nourishing: music, art, poetry; love.

* A grieving of the old that must pass away: lifestyles, expectations, and illusions I held dear.

* A clear understanding that everyone is responsible for their own healing and that my time is now best spent doing those things that aid me in tending to my own unhealed/unaware places until there is Wholeness or “whole awareness”.

For someone like myself who has always been a “people pleaser” and has had great difficulty in “disappointing others”, the shift I’ve undergone is very big. But suddenly I know what I stand for, and I will not be swayed. I have cancelled plans that don’t fit my soul’s agenda, and I do nothing that does not align with what has meaning to me. Although this is a time for listening deeply, and saying little, it is also a time to stand up, stand for, and speak my truth:

I stand for Mother Earth, and for every innocent creature who has the right to freedom; to food and water and shelter, and respect and dignity and Love – I stand for all of the voiceless voices. Yes, Truly to Sing, that is a different breath…

The woman sitting across from me was radiant. Mirabai Devi, an international spiritual teacher from South Africa, was known for the unconditional love that emanated from her, and I could see why. Her dark eyes sparkled, her smile was both serene and joyful, and I felt a warm glow in my heart as I gazed at her.

I pressed the Record button on my digital recorder, and Mirabai began to tell me about her first experience of unconditional love. It had taken place almost 20 years earlier, when, as a young woman, Mirabai experienced an awakening while traveling through Europe:

“It was as if a dam burst in my heart, and the waters overflowed. The love that came forth was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Like a flood, it was all-consuming and all-encompassing; I could hardly contain it. I felt electrified; my body was tingling all over. I was so in love with the whole creation that I wanted to hug everyone I met. I knew that couldn’t do that because people would think I was crazy. Still, people could feel it. Everywhere I went they would just come up to me and say, “What can I do for you?” “Can I help you?” “Can I give you a ride?” “Can I get you some food?” “Can I . . . ?” They just wanted to be around me.

Traveling through Holland one afternoon, I stopped on the side of the road and looked at a field of cabbages. All the cabbages were just filled with this iridescent, luminous light. My heart was bursting with love for the cabbages.

I felt union with the whole of creation. Everything was pulsing with love.

It was in the walls and in the trees. It was as though it was coming through the sky. I saw that everything is connected and everything is one. And everything is radiant with this exquisite, ecstatic love.”

I sat transfixed, taking in the details of Mirabai’s remarkable story, and asking myself: Is it possible for me and for others to experience that state of unconditional love all the time?

That was the question I set out to answer in my latest book, Love for No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love. Taking the same approach I had in my earlier book, Happy for No Reason, in which I interviewed unconditionally happy people to find out how to be truly happy, I went to the experts on love—more than 150 people I call “Love Luminaries,” including scientists, psychologists, spiritual teachers, and people whose lives were rich in the qualities of the heart—to find out how to be unconditionally loving.

In interview after interview, I heard more than a hundred variations of Mirabai’s story. I thought, If so many people, from all different backgrounds and all different walks of life experience this, it must be possible for me, and anyone else.

What I discovered through my research is that each of us can grow in unconditional love, the kind of love that doesn’t depend on any person or situation, what I call Love for No Reason. I found 14 keys that will help you experience this higher state of love more and more of the time. Here are three tips to get you started:
1. Anchor Yourself in Safety. Feeling unsafe or fearful essentially takes love off-line. It’s impossible to activate the physiology of unconditional love when your body is in fight or flight.
One way to relieve the stress response and establish a feeling of inner safety is to mentally take stock of your circles of support: physical, emotional, and spiritual. Review the resources inside and around you that you can draw on to deal with whatever life throws at you—your family and friends, your talents, your faith, your work, your hobbies; whatever and whomever you love and feel strengthened by. Spend at least one full minute savoring each circle of support. Let your mind and body consciously experience the feeling of being supported and safe. When you register and savor the experience of safety, it creates new neural pathways in your brain.

2. Feel Your Feelings. Stifling your emotions or expressing them excessively is equally damaging to your capacity to experience unconditional love. Luckily, there’s a third option: feeling your feelings. This is not the same as “expressing, exaggerating or acting out,” as Love Luminary Raphael Cushnir told me.

“All it requires is a gentle focus, a turning toward what’s actually present.”

Try this simple practice to help maintain openness that I adapted from Raphael’s work.

To begin, think of a negative feeling that you resist (such as anger, jealousy, sadness, or fear).

Next recall how you feel standing in a hot shower—the stream of hot water cascading over your body. Use your felt memory to actually recreate the expansion, relaxation, and openness of that experience in your body. Now, bring this same sense of bodily relaxation to feeling that negative feeling you resist.

Notice how your body relaxes and expands, and in that bigger space, the stuck feeling can now start to move. When you remove the interference to the flow of emotions, like leaves on a river they stay with you briefly and soon move round the bend. Then you’re free to experience the underlying Love for No Reason that’s present all the time.

3. Practice Self-Compassion. Try a simple self-love technique that brings you into your heart and reminds you to treat yourself with care. It comes in especially handy whenever you’re having a rough time or being critical toward yourself or others. Throughout the day, ask yourself, What’s the most loving thing I can do for myself right now? or What’s the most loving way I can be with myself right now?

And then pay attention to the answer and actually do whatever it is.

Sometimes it’s having compassion for the part of you that’s hurting; other times it’s forgiving yourself for mistakes or simply lightening up on yourself. There are also occasions when the most loving thing you can do for yourself is taking a walk or a hot bath or calling a good friend for a chat. Whatever it is, when you love and take care of yourself, you’ll find it inevitably serves everyone.

Practice these simple exercises frequently and you’ll notice more love in your heart. Learning to experience pure love within yourself is the key to living a life of unconditional love. When you fill your own love tank, you bring that love to everything in your life.

Then, as Mirabai experienced, you still love people and things outside yourself, but the difference is that your love doesn’t depend on any of those things, whether people, jobs, relationships, cars, clothes….or even cabbages.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————About Marci Shimoff: Based on the NY Times bestseller Love for No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love (Free Press, 2010) which offers a breakthrough approach to experiencing a lasting state of unconditional love—the key to lasting joy and fulfillment in life. Marci is also author of the NY Times bestseller Happy for No Reason and co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul series. To order Love for No Reason and get the bonus gift package free, go to www.TheLoveBook.com and follow Marci on Facebook @ MarciShimoffFan.
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Do You Need a Reason to Love? was last modified: May 4th, 2011 by Marci Shimoff

How wonderful is the cycle of life! Without a word or any input from man, nature continues to move to the rhythm of the earth. Wind, water, sun and moon together move to creation’s eternal beat, effortlessly and gracefully flowing from one season into another. Each season along with the rising and setting of the sun moves around us in perfect harmony with one another and invites us to join in. Have you learned the steps?

Creation’s dance begins with the season of spring. After a long, silent winter all of nature is awakening to the heartbeat of the earth as it bursts into new birth. Sights and sounds wrap around us, encouraging us to come out of our own inner hibernation. It is a time to set into motion the dreams and desires that we created during the reflective time of winter. Now is the time to set our thoughts into motion; join in the dance!

Often we are so caught up in our material existence that we don’t even recognize the beauty of the world around us. If we can’t see and hear the obvious gifts of the Creator that are right in front of us how do we expect to manifest what we desire or to experience heightened awareness? Rather than learning the rhythm of the universe we often choose to loose the beat thus finding ourselves out of step with the very forces that could help us. There are spiritual hands just waiting for us to grab on so they can assist us but we choose ego as our partner instead. Unfortunately, ego only knows one step, never going ahead but rather around and around in circles. Oh, ego is a clever partner for it appears to be leading us forward but before we know it, we are being guided back. After awhile this dance drains our energy and leaves us still feeling unfulfilled.

However, if we follow our intuition and allow spiritual teachers into our lives, we will find all our senses awakened. Soon we will feel the Creator’s presence and flow into the rhythm of the universe. It is then that our purpose is revealed and we recognize the steps we must take to complete our own dance. It all begins with opening ourselves us to the world around us and appreciating the wonders that are there.

Take time to look around and see the buds on the trees, taste some sweet maple syrup, hear the birds singing, the squirrels chattering and scurrying around in an attempt to find last falls hidden treasures, and most importantly breathe deeply and take in the glorious freshness and newness of the spring air. Allow it to go deeply into the core of your being, filling you with its life giving energy. Don’t be afraid to get muddy as this carries the grounding of mother earth and the hope of rebirth. The cool rains will wash away the last of the winter’s snow in order to nourish the seedlings beneath the earth.

Be part of this amazing dance by becoming mindful of nature’s flow and be one with All That Is. Each day, every moment in the day is unique, never to happen again. Savor each second and feel yourself becoming in tune with the Universal Concert of movement and change.

Universal Dance was last modified: April 11th, 2011 by Janice Chrysler

“To awaken the potential of a human being is the most sacred blessing there is.”

Humanity is giving birth to a new potential. This new awareness is about being. Being comfortable where you are. Being comfortable with who you are and in every moment giving yourself permission to be fully you.

People respond to honesty and that honesty begins by being honest with yourself. With your presence fully here in the present. Grounded, alert and aware. Where love sees beyond the illusion of the moment to the true and sacred center of us all.

We’re all seeking to connect to one another and by sharing, our joys and our pains, we become united in a bond that goes beyond boundaries. So that in the end your joy is my own laughter and your pain is a blade that pierces my own heart. And in both moments I am truly blessed.

Be Gentle & Love Yourself

Many people think it’ll be hard to change the world and you have to laugh at that thought. Because these people are full of burdens. Like a martyr. The world doesn’t need martyr’s. The world doesn’t need your help. The world is full of harmony, peace, and love.

All there is to do is to accept yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Love yourself. And once you start to come home to your own essence you come into alignment with all of life. You begin to be harmonious. You begin to sing and resonate with the sound of life. Then you are one with the world.

That’s what’s needed.

And what is it that we shall all awaken to?

We shall awaken to ourselves so that when we look back upon our former lives, those moments will seem strange to us, as if we were witnessing someone else’s life. And we shall have compassion for those who are still asleep.

But our joyous laughter shall free them from their own deep slumber. For we will celebrate life once more and the happiness we find deep within our hearts will make us dance like fire and purify all that we touch. Unlocking the sacredness of our world and transforming us into a potential that we’ve only glimpsed within our dreams.
Deep Within Our Hearts Is A Dream

The core of humanity shall awaken to love, for love is a mighty force. A sacred flame that transforms all those who enter into its covenant. Where all things are consecrated to the spirit of innocence. For innocence is fully alive in the moment, pure in its trust, strong in its vulnerability, and soft with its touch.

For the beauty of innocence conquers all, because in that moment of joyful honesty we’re given a glimpse into the dazzling radiance of our being and we become speechless by its splendor.

Deep within our hearts is a dream. Flickering within our minds is a hope. Trembling within our hands is a love. Softly within our words is a comfort. And steadily within our world we’re walking toward a paradise. A heaven that is truly here on this earth.

To awaken is to be aware of your purpose, your passion, your love, your connection to all.

What Is Awakening Like?

Peace is the presence. Love is the light. Compassion is the expression. Joy is the sound.

Awaken to this day and arise to your life. Wherever you are, be there and be alive. Be a blessing to the world and if words fail you be joyful, for joy is love’s language.

So what is it that we’re waiting for? Why are we hesitating? Do you think there’s something more that you need to know before you can accept your divinity? Do you think there’s an ancient hidden teaching that is being withheld from you? Are you waiting for that perfect moment?

The time of your perfection is now. Your sacred inheritance is waiting for you.

When You’re Provoked You Will Change

And truly what is there to teach you? What can I even teach you? Nothing. There’s nothing that can be taught.

So does that mean my efforts are useless?

No.

For as I become a master of myself I can provoke you. I can provoke a longing in you. A desire. A feeling. A wanting. I can show you a potential. And it will be my greatness that you will want for yourself. And when you’re provoked, you will change. You will become awake with your desire. A desire to change. A passion to become something else. To feel another way.

Because it is easy to feel, and we like easy, and we like to feel good. And we want to be great.

This is what I can do.

So we’re awakening, becoming alive to the inspiration that is our own true self. For we are beautiful beyond measure and if we but choose to see it, the world of the future can be created right now in this present moment.

Awakening Exercise

Start and end your day with the Declaration of Awakening. As you make these declarations the universe will respond accordingly. In the least please print off the Declaration and keep it in a place that you walk by. That way every so often it will catch your attention and you’ll be drawn back to yourself and the magnificence of the moment.

DECLARATION OF AWAKENING
(c) Ian Paul Marshall

I AM

I am awakened!

I have now awakened to the magic of my life, this present moment and the
divine connection that I have to all of life.

I live, breathe, and have my being within a living field of unified consciousness.

My heart is aflame with love, joy, and compassion and my hands reach out to touch and care for all of life.

I affirm that all the people of the world are created equal and divinity is the true nature of our being.

I accept responsibility for my life and use the power of my thoughts wisely to consciously and lovingly create creation.

I have a purpose in life, I believe in miracles and I strive to release the awesome power and potential that is within me.

I accept abundance, joy, health, and peace as my natural and complete state of being.

I am a unique expression of the One True Source of All and I allow others to enjoy the unique experience that they are creating for themselves.

I know from personal experience that even all this can be overcome. The problem is, (even though it seems so simple from the outside looking in) sometimes the fear of the unknown can be stronger than the fear of what is familiar. When a person has allowed themselves to remain in a situation, they feel as though they have given away every ounce of power they have… this is an illusion. The shift from Victim to FREEdom doesn’t have to be a life long journey… it starts first in the mind, by changing the negative thought pattern that has been developed… since those thoughts have created a grove in the mind, it can take awhile to create a new pattern of thought.

“No matter what the problem is, our experiences are just outer effects of inner thoughts.” Louise L Hay, “Your thoughts and beliefs of the past have created this moment, and all the moments up to this moment. What you are now choosing to believe and think and say will create the next moment and the next day and the next month and the next year.”

I know that everything can be ok… but You need to take action and first choose to BE that which you are seeking. No one can make that choice but you, and that can be hell on those of us on the outside. I will keep believing in YOU, that you will overcome; my faith in YOU will act as a lighthouse that will help YOU to find your own path… BE strong and bright my friend and do not fall into the trap of becoming a search light, because you will drive yourself crazy. Become the LIGHTHOUSE of your own design!

When caterpillars create their cocoon, it is a process that they have to go through. When it is time for them to emerge, if an onlooker interferes in any way, the butterfly will not develop the strength needed to fly. So other than letting you know that I am here to support you, I cannot interfere regardless of how painful it is to witness. Unless you ask for help, others around you need to stay firmly planted in the belief that YOU need to make the choice to save yourself and climb out of the cocoon that you are a part of. Until you do make that choice on your own, you will keep crawling back in.

I believe in YOU my friend!

In Love & Leaning.

Humbly,

Marcia

I Believe in YOU was last modified: November 19th, 2010 by Marcia Johnson

We have 2 cats. Usually they like to catch mice and small birds like ordinary cats do.
Even if they get the food inside – their instincts are there all the same.

Yet yesterday something else happened.
We heard one of the cats calling outside the kitchen window – it was in the middle of the day.
We looked out and the cat met our eyes – carrying something in her mouth. It was so tiny – it looked like a baby bird.
She put the bird gently down into the grass and made some gestures for us to come outside.
When we approached the cat – she touched the bird gently with her nose – as if she was trying to tell us something. She stepped back a little – and wanted us to take a look at the little bird.
The bird didn`t move and we didn`t know if it was alive or dead.
Pearl Shanti bent down and lifted the bird gently up.It was still not moving – it was smaller than her thumb.
She and Leopold Light sat down and gave the bird Reiki.
Suddenly it opened the eyes and gasped for air – while the eyes were rolling…

Big brother came and took over the bird – he loves to give the animals Reiki. The two brothers worked with the bird for 15 minutes.
The bird was on its back. The cat came over again and sniffed on the bird. Suddenly the little bird raised and looked around in the room.After 10 more minutes he started to fly around in the house.
WE opened the window – and he was gone –FREE AS A BIRD….

“ Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrr “ said the cat – lifted her tail and went happily out of the room…

We were thinking for ourselves:
Have humanity underestimated the animals – or are the animals also growing spiritually ?
It is clear to see that not only humans are affected by the awakening going on – animals and nature are also affected.

The little bird was one of the smallest birds in Norway – the Winter Wren.
This is a beautiful symbol – when the cat (Lion) saved the bird (the lamb)…
Nature is talking – we just have to listen.

From science, man learns the philosophic truth that there is no material universe, its warp and woof is maya, illusion.
How did Christ resurrect his crucified body? How did Lahiri Mahashaya and Sri Yukteshwar perform their miracles? Modern science has as yet, no answer, though with the advent of Atomic Age the scope of the world-mind has been abruptly enlarged. The word ‘impossible’ is becoming less prominent in man’s vocabulary.

The Vedic scriptures declare that the physical world operates under one fundamental law of maya, the principle of relativity and duality. God, the Sole Life, is Absolute Unity; to appear as separate and diverse manifestations of a creation He wears a false or unreal veil. That illusory dualistic veil is maya. Many great scientific discoveries of modern times have confirmed this simple pronouncement of the ancient rishis.

Newton’s Law of Motion is a law of maya. “To every action there is always an equal and contrary reaction; the mutual action of any two bodies is always equal and oppositely directed.” Action and reaction are thus exactly equal. “To have a single force is impossible. There must be, and always is, a pair of forces equal and opposite.”…

Physical science, then, cannot formulate laws outside of maya: the very fabric and structure of creation. Nature herself is maya; natural science must perforce deal with her ineluctable quiddity. In her domain, she is eternal and inexhaustible; future scientists can do no more than probe one aspect after another of her varied infinitude. Science thus remains in a perpetual flux, unable to reach finality; fit indeed to discover the laws of an already existing and functioning cosmos but powerless to detect the Law Framer and Sole Operator. The majestic manifestations of gravitation and electricity have become known, but what gravitation and electricity are, no mortal knoweth….

Among the trillion mysteries of the cosmos, the most phenomenal is light. Unlike sound waves, whose transmission requires air or other material media, the light waves pass freely through the vacuum of interstellar space…light remains the most subtle, the freest from material dependence, of any natural manifestation.

In the gigantic conceptions of Albert Einstein, the velocity of light – 1,86,300 miles per second – dominates the whole Theory of Relativity. He proves mathematically that the velocity of light is, so far as man’s finite mind is concerned, the only constant of a universe in flux. On the sole ‘absolute’ of light velocity depends all human standards of time and space. Not abstractly eternal as hitherto considered, time and space are relative and finite factors. They derive their conditional measurement-validities only in reference to the yardstick of light velocity. With a few equational strokes of his pen, Einstein banished from the universe every fixed reality except that of light.

In a later development, his Unified Field Theory, the great physicist sought to embody in one mathematical formula the laws of gravitation and of electromagnetism. Reducing the cosmic structure to variations on a single law, Einstein has reached across the ages to the rishis who proclaimed a sole fabric of creation: a protean maya. Great scientists are now boldly asserting not only that the atom is energy rather than matter, but that atomic energy is essentially mind-stuff.

“The frank realisation that physical science is concerned with a world of shadows is one the most significant advances,” Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington writes in The Nature of the Physical World. “In the world of physics we watch a shadow graph performance of the drama of familiar life… To put the conclusion crudely, the stuff of the world is mind-stuff.”

The New York Times gave the following report of a 1937 demonstration of the electron microscope… : “The principle of the electron microscope was first discovered in 1927 by Drs Clinton J. Davisson and Lesser H. Germer of the Bell Telephone Laboratories, New York City, who found that the electron has a dual personality, partaking the characteristics of a particle and a wave. (That is both matter and energy.)…”

From science, then, it must be so, let man learn the philosophic truth that there is no material universe, its warp and woof is maya, illusion. Under analysis all its mirages of reality dissolve. As, one by one, the reassuring props of a physical cosmos crash beneath him, man dimly perceives his idolatrous reliance, his transgression of the Divine Command: “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.”

In his famous equation outlining the equivalence of mass and energy, Einstein proved that the energy in any particle of matter is equal to its mass or weight multiplied by the square of the velocity of light… The ‘death’ of matter has given birth to an Atomic Age.

Light velocity is a mathematical standard or constant not because there is an absolute value in 1,86,300 miles a second, but because no material body, whose mass increases with its velocity, can ever attain the velocity of light. Stated another way: only a material body whose mass is infinite could equal the velocity of light…

“Let there be light! And there was light”. In the creation of the universe, God’s first command brought into being the structural essential: light. On the beams of this immaterial medium occur all divine manifestations…

Free from matter consciousness, free from the three dimensions of space and the fourth dimension of time, a master transfers his body of light with equal ease over or through the light rays of earth, water, fire, and air…

The law of miracles is operable by any man who has realized that the essence of creation is light. A master is able to employ his divine knowledge of light phenomena to project instantly into perceptible manifestation the ubiquitous light atoms. The actual form of projection, whatever it be: a tree, a medicine, a human body, is determined by the yogi’s wish and by his power of will and of visualization…

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Shayne Traviss

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However sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
And after over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others Shayne Traviss decided to open a new chapter in his life.
If you long to go higher, live a life 'all in' join him as he dives in deep sharing his life experiences, travels and inspirations for living a VividLife.